Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1887-12-08

lhucn anu as iast as can sateiy DC done, the
treasury department from private enterprise.
or course il Is not expected that unnecessary
and eNtravagant operations will be made
for the purpose OF avoiding the
accumulation Of excess OF revenue. Such ex-
penditurc, besides the Generalization Of all
Just conception Of public duty which II entails,
tnulates recklessness not In the least con-
sistent with the ms 'ion Of our people or the
high aud beueficent purposes Of our govern
ment.
have deemed It my duty to bring TO the
knowledge Of my countrymen as well as 10 the
attention Of their representatives, the respon-
sibility Of Legislative relief, the gravity of our
financial situation. The failure OF the Con.
gress heretofore to provide against the danger
which il was quite evident the very nature of
The difficulty must necessarily produce, caused
a condition Of financial distress ana apprchen-
ION since their last adjournment which taxed
TO the utmost all the authority and expedicnts
which lay in the executive control, and these
appear now TO be exhausted. II disaster re-
| suits from the continued inaction OF Congress,
The responsibility must rest where It belongs.
| Though the situation thus far considered Is
iraught with danger which should be fully
realized, aud though II presents features Of
wrong TO the people as well as TO the country,
II is but result growing out Of perfectly
palpable and apparent cause constantly repro
tucing the same alarming circumstances
congested national treasury and depleted
monetary condition of the business OF the
country. II needs hardly be stated that while
| the present situation demands remedy we
can only be saved from like predicament in
the future by the removal of the cause. Our
| scheme OF taxation by the means OF which this
needless surplus is taken from the people aud
put into the public treasury consists OF tariff OF
nty levied upon importations from abroad and
! internal rcrenue taxes levied upon the con-
sumption oil toeacco and sprltuous and malt
| liquors. II must be considered that none Of
| these taxes relating TO things subjected 10 in-
ternal revenue taxation are, strictly speaking,
necessary and 1t SO appears to be no lust cause
| of complaint to the consumers Of the articles
| and there seems TO be nothing 40 well able TO
near the burden without hardship to my por-
lion OF the people. But our present tafir
| avs, the various ine9uitabc and Illegal source
| Of unnecessary taxation, ought to be ut once
| revised aud amended. These laws us their
primary and plain effect raise the price to con-
| sumers Of all articles imported and subject to
| uty, by precisely the sum paid for such duties.
| Thus the amount Of the duty measures the tax
| paid by those who purchase for use these i'm
| ported articles. Many Of these things, how
| ever are raised or manufactured In our own
country, and the duties now levied upon for
eign goods aud products are called protection
| to these home manufactures, because they rem
| der il possible for those OF our people who are
manufacturers, to make the taxed articles aud
| ell them for price equal TO that demanded
! for the imported goods that have paid customs
| duty. So II happens that while comparatively
few use the imported articles, millions Of
our people who never use and never saw
amy Of the an te'e e Se Same u'eR haS
made in this country aud pay for them nearly
or quite the same enhanced price which the
duty adds to the imported articles. Those who
| buy imports pay the duty charged thereon into
the public treasury, but the great majority OF
our citizens, who buy domestic articles Of the
| same class pay SUN at least approximately
equal to this duly to the home manufacture
| ers. This reference to the operation OF our
| tariff laws Is not made by way OF instruction
| but In order that We may be constantly remind
| ed of the manner In which they impose bur
| den upon those who consume domestic pro-
ducts, as well as those who consume imported
articles, and thus create tax upon all our peo-
| pie. 1t Is not proposed to entirely relieve the
| country of this taxation. IL must be eNten-
| siyely continued rs the source OF the govern
] erment's income and In readjustinent of our
| tariff, the interests OF American labor engaged
| in the manufacturing should be carefully con-
| sidered, as well as the preservation Of our
manufacturers. 1t may be called protection,
| or by any other name, but relief from the hard
| ships and dangers of our present laws should
| be devised with especial precaution against
imperiling the exlstaucc OF our manufacture
| ing interests. But this cxistance should not
| mean a condition which, without regard to
| the public welfare or national exigcncy
must ALWAYS insure the realization OF immense
| profits instead Of moderately profitable re-
| turns As the volume and diversity of our ma
tional activities Increase new recruits are
added To those who desire continuation OF
| the advantages which they conceive the present
system of tariff taxation directly affords them.
So stubbornly have all efforts TO reform the
| present condition been resisted by those OF our
| fellow citizens thus engaged that they can
hardly complain Of the suspicion, cntertaiocd
to certain extent, that there exists an organ
lied combination all along the line to main
| tlin lair al Va
| centennial celebrations, and with growing
pride we rejoice in American skill and
and ingenuity, in American energy and en-
terprse. aud In the wonderful natural advan-
tages and resources developed by acentury's-
national growth. Yet when an attempt is made
to justify a scheme which permits tax to be
laid upon every consumer In the land for the
benefit Of our manufacturers, quite beyond
reasonable demand for government regard,
II suits the purposes OF manufacturers In
infant industries still needing the highest and
greatest degree of favor and care that can be
wrung from federal legislation. II Is also said
that the increase In the price OF domestic man
ufactures resulting from the present tariff Is
necessary, in order that higher wages may be
paid to our workngnen employed In manufac-
| turics than are paid for what Is called pauper
labor In Europe. In AL we acknowledge the
force of an argument which involves the vel
fare and liberal compensation OF our laboring
people. Our labor is honorable 10 the eyes OF
tion of our development, 1t is entitled without
atfcctation or hypocrisy To the utmost regard.
The standard Of our laborcrs' life should not
be marred by that Of another country less fav
ored and they are entitled to their full share
Of our advantages. BY the last census II Is
made TO appear that OF the 1882 ,099 OF oui
population engaged In all kinds OF industries,
1860, 493 are employed In agriculture; ,2}S
In professional and personal service (2,409S1d
Of whom are domestic servants and labOrers)
| while 1,SlO,256 are employed In trade and
transportation and 8, S37, liz are classed as en-
ployed at manufacturing and mining. For
present purposes however, the last number
given should be considerably reduced
without attempting to enumcrate all II will be
conceded that there should be deducted from
those which 1t includes 315, l43 carpenters and
joiners, 2S5,l70 mlliners, dress-makers and
scamstresses l7212 blacksmiths, 1885, 1856
| tallors and talloresses, 101 900 masous, 16,4l
butchers, 10000 bakers, 22, i2 plasterers and
1901 manufacturing agricultural implements,
leaving 2,623, 0S9 persons employed in such
manufacturing industries a. are claimed to be
benefited In high tariff. To these the appeal
is made TO save their employment and main
tain their wages by resisting "a change. There
| should be no disposition to answer such sug-
gestions By the allegations that they are IN q
minority among those who labor and therefore
should forego an advantage IN the interest of
low prices for the majority. Their compensa.
ton as II may be affected by the operations OF
tariff laws should at all times be scrupulously
kept In view and yet with slight reflection they
will not overlook the fact that they are con-
sumers with the rest; that they, too,
have their own wants and those Of their
families TO supply from their earnings and
that the prices of the neccssaries OF life
as well rs the amount Of those wants
v HI regulate the measure of their welfare and
comfort, but the reduction Of taxation de
handed should be so regulated as not TO ncces-
state or justify either the loss OF employment
by the workingman or the lesscning OF his
wages and the profit still remaining 10 the
manufacturer. necessary readiustment
should furnish no excuse for the sacrifice OF
the interests of his employers either In their
opportunity to work or the diminuton Of
| their compensation, nor can the worker In
manufactures understand that while high
tariff Is necessary TO the payment OF remuner-
alive wages, certainly results In very large
Increase In the price of nearly all so is OF man
fractures which In almost countless forms, he
needs for the use of himself and his family.
He receives at the desk Of his employer his
wages, and perhaps before he reaches his home
is obliged In purchase for family use Of an
article which embraces his own labor 10 return
in the pay the increasing price which the tariff
permits, the hard-earned compensation of
many days Of toll. The farmer and the agri-
,ultlrist, who manufactures nothing but who
pays the increased price which the tariff